Holiday Gift Giving Top Ten Countdown...#10 Amy Butler's Birdie Sling

Thanks for joining me !

Today I begin the great Holiday Gift Giving Top Ten Countdown: a list of all the year's best offerings when it comes to handmade goodness. All of these projects are perfect for making and giving and we will be covering everyone on your list from babies to what to make for boys to great ideas for your pets right on through to the grown-ups. You may think I'm starting in with the Holiday lists a little early, but these handmade items take time, don't ya know?

Bringing up the all important #10 spot is Amy Butler's Birdie Sling.

I cannot sing the praises of this bag enough and have become completely enamored with it. Every once in a while a bag comes along that has it all: style, good looks, ease and functionality and this bag has got it going ON. The Birdie Sling is not a delicate little clutch, but a BIG bag that you can toss all of your stuff into and be off for the day.

This bag would be perfect for all the ladies on your list: girls as young as 6 love this bag (think beach bag, sports tote, etc.), right on up through to older gals. Even my sweet little Gramma has hinted that she has her eye on one of these Slings. It's fun to pick out fabrics for this bag, too: you just need 1 yard each of 3 coordinating prints, which we would be very happy to help you with at the shop. The Birdie Sling sews up in no time flat and is aimed at the beginning sewer, all factors which make for excellent gift giving.

I have a funny little Birdie Sling anecdote, too. Earlier this fall, Mom and I were in Portland visiting Sam, who is completing our website for us, and we decided to go window shopping. One of the places we visited was the Angela Adams store. I was sporting my very own personal Birdie Sling (you have to represent, you know?) and the gals at the Angela Adams store went completely ga ga for my bag. This is very ironic because Angela Adams has made quite a name for herself selling bags of her own design. Furthermore when I told the girls in the store that I made the bag myself they just couldn't believe it. Believe it, ladies: it can be done. And I mean no disrespect to Angela, but the Birdie Sling is a little more, ahhh, shall we say... accessible? than one of Miss Adams' gorgeous numbers.

Here is a picture from my most recent Birdie Sling workshop which I teach at the store as a Beginner's bag class: these ladies are, from left to right, Jennifer Genthner (who despite being much taller than me is only 12 years old!!!), Julie Geyer and Wendy Conrad. They are all beginning sewers who made the Birdie Sling in just two classes! I thought it was very nice of them all to color coordinate their bags, too. Nice work ladies! I hope you are out there using the heck out of your slings and making me proud!

So there it is... #10. The Birdie Sling has been insanely popular at the store and we have plenty of patterns in stock. You are sure to make somebody's day when they unwrap this present and you will have fun making it, too!